Book end and like supports



April 13, 1937. F D FARR 2,076,941

BOOK END AND LIKE SUPPORT Original Filed Jan. 14, 1935 I 7106 71/2707.-5 Eedfl Fa??? Patented Apr. 13, 1937"- BOOK END AND LIKE SUPPORTS FredB. Farr, Mam-aroneck, N. Y., assignor to Revere Copper and BrassIncorporated, Rome, N. Y., a corporation of Maryland Application January14, 1935. Serial'No. 1,677 Renewed March 21, 1936 8 Claims.

My invention, which relates to book ends and like supports, will be bestunderstood from the following description when read in the light of theaccompanying drawing of several embodiments of the invention, while thescope of the invention will be more particularly, pointed out in theappended claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is an elevation of. one form of book end according to theinvention;

Fig. 2 is an end view according to Fig. l; and

Fig. 3 is a modified form of the invention, the spring scroll at theleft hand side of the figure being in contracted position, while at theright hand side of the figure it is in extended position to receive oneor more books.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1 and 2 ol the drawing, the book andcomprises a base member I which iii-this particular form of theinvention is angle-shaped so as to present a surface 3 adapted to restupont he upper surface of a table or other flat supporting surface andto present a vertically disposed surface 5 which forms'an abutmentsurface agalnst which the hat side of a book or the like is adapted torest.

As illustrated, the base member is formed at its under side with agroove I which receives the end portion of a relatively widestrip 9 ofspring material, preferably metal, the strip being rigidly secured tothe base member in any convenient way as, for example, by a plurality ofscrews II. As illustrated, the free end portion of the strip 9 is coiledto form a scroll I3 a curved side of which is opposed to the abutmentsurface 5 and resiliently bears against it.

The modification shown by Fig. 3 is similar to that disclosed by Figs. 1and 2, except that the base member is in the form of a block I5,opposite sides of which present abutment surfaces 5 for the flat side ofa book or the like, while the groove 1 extends entirely across the undersupporting surface 3 of the block and receives an intermediate portionof a spring member I! the opposite free end portions of which are coiledto form 4 scrolls I3 so that books may be supported at opposite sides ofthe block or base member I5. If desired, the block I5 may be omitted, inwhich case the scrolls will normally contact with each other. and, whenin use, each scroll will serve as an abutment member for the other.

The spring members 9 and I1, which are relatively thin, are of suchresiliency and the scrolls are so shaped that the latter may be unwoundby moving them away from the base member so as to permit books B to beinserted as illustrated in dotted lines at the right hand side of Fig.3. The scrolls when unwound tend resiliently to coil into contact withthe associated abutment surface 5 and thus act resiliently to engagewith the flat side of the book, or row of books, the opposite side ofwhich is in contact with said abutment surface. rest upon the uncoiledsurface of the spring, which latter flexes so as to rest upon thesurface of the table or other support for the book end.

As illustrated, the spring 9 and the opposite free portions of thespring I! are longitudinally tapered in respect to their width, thenarrow portions of the springs being adjacent the bases 5 and 5. It hasbeen found that this construction facilitates, or causes unwinding ofthe scroll at the lowermost portion thereof when the scroll is movedfrom its full line position at the right hand side of Fig. 3 to itsdotted line position.

It will be understood that wide deviations may be made from the forms ofthe book end illus trated without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

I claim:

1. A support of the character described having, in combination, a memberproviding an abutment for the articles to be supported, a relativelywide, longitudinally tapered, flat strip of spring material having aportion of less width operatively secured to said member and having afree portion of greater width coiled to present a scroll a curved sideof which is opposed to said member, said scroll being capable of beingunwound by movement thereof away from said member and resilientlytending to assume its coiled shape.

2. A support of the character described having, in combination, a memberproviding an abutment for the articles to be supported, a relativelywide, longitudinally tapered, fiat strip of spring material having aportion of less width operatively secured to said member and having afree portion of greater width coiled to present a scroll, said scrollbeing capable of being unwound by movement thereof away from said memberand resiliently tending to coil into contact with said member.

3. A support of the character described having, in combination, a memberadapted to rest upon a flat supporting surface and formed to present asuitable abutment surface for the fiat side of a vertically positionedbook or the like, a relatively wide, longitudinally tapered, flat springmember having a portion of less width operatively secured to the firstmentioned member adjacent that portion of the latter which is adapted torest The inserted books at their lower end;

upon said supporting surface and having a free portion of progressivelyincreasing width also adapted to rest upon said supporting surface andto contact with the edge of the book, said free portion of said springmember being coiled to present a scroll a curved side of which isopposed to said abutment surface, said scroll being capable of beingunwound by movement thereof away from the first mentioned member andresiliently tending to assume its coiled shape.

4. A support of the character described having,

in combination, a part presenting a base adapted to rest on a horizontalsupporting surface and also an abutment above such surface, a. rela,

tively wide, longitudinally tapered, flat strip of spring materialhaving a portion of less width operatively secured to said part andhaving a free portion of greater width coiled to present a scroll acurved side of which is opposed to said abutment, said scroll beingcapable of being unwound by movement thereof away from said abutment andresiliently tending to assume 1 coiled shape.

5. A support of the character described having, in combination, a partpresenting a base adapted to rest on a horizontal supporting surface andalso an abutment above such surface, elongated fiat springs presentingrelatively 'wide, longitudinally tapered portions at opposite sides ofsaid abutment, the narrower portions of which springs are secured tosaid part and the free wider portions of which are coiled to presentends of the row of books, said springs being of progressively decreasingresiliency from said curved sides thereof toward their portions adjacentsaid supporting surface.

7. A support of the character described having, in combination, a memberproviding an abutment for the sides of articles to be supported, a flat,elongated strip of flexible spring material coiled to present a scrolloperatively having an end secured to said member, said scroll adapted tobe unwound by movement away from said abutment and having a flexible,freely bendable portion extending from the plane of said abutment, whichportion by unwinding of said scroll provides an extensible support uponwhich the edges of articles are adapted to rest, and having a free endportion presenting a convex side opposed to said abutment for engagingthe sides of articles opposite said abutment and resiliently holdingthem thereagainst.

8. A support of the character described having means presenting a baseadapted to rest upon a supporting surface and also means presenting anabutment above said base, against which abutment the side of an articleto be carried by said.

support is adapted to rest; said support including a spring memberformed of a strip of relatively wide sheet metal having a flat sidefacing the plane of said abutment, which spring member has a resilientportion which is free from said base andextends upwardly from adjacentsaid base and from the plane of said abutment and is outwardly bowedrelative to said plane so as to clear the side of the articleoppositesaid abutment and upon which the bottom of an article is adapted torest, said spring member presenting a surface above said base in spacedrelation thereto carried by said outwardly bowed portion and cooperatingwith said abutment, which surface is adapted to contact with the side ofan article and urge it toward said abutment for holding the articleagainst said abutment.

FRED D. FARR.

